The problem: Knowledge becomes useful only when turned into education and training. If the new knowledge developed by our Bio-Defense RCE is to be useful, it must be timely disseminated to the proper people, in useful ways. The solution: Our RCE will be in a unique position to turn knowledge into useful education and training, and do so without a major new investment of time or money. A vast and experienced regional network of educators and researchers will be brought into play immediately upon inception of the RCE. Components include: the UW School of Public Health and Community Medicine; the WWAMI Program which manages a large-scale medical education consortium in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho; the WWAMI Area Health Education Center Network (AHECN); the WWAMI Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network (BRIN) Consortium; and connections with the Department of Defense. Aim 1: Educate the region about the RCE - With the existing resources we will make the RCE an integral part of our regional educational resources. Aim 2: Educate students and others about bio-defense and emerging infectious diseases (Students in clinical training at UW and affiliated universities; Students in the School of Public Health; Community-based clinicians via continuing medical education (CME) programs; and Communities via community health education and planning. Aim 3: Recruit into careers of bio-defense and emerging infectious diseases. We will use this funding to search for and recruit junior scientists in the BRIN states to enter careers in bench science in bio-defense and emerging infectious diseases. Students will be exposed to active researchers on those campuses via course work and work-study projects.